For those of you who don't know me that well, I am a bit of a nervous nellie. A wasp and then a seemingly dangerous car ride both independently made me cry in Africa. And no, I wasn't a kid, I was 32 years old. So of course, I allowed Dr. C to drag me on the aforementioned canopy tour. Before the first of 13 lines, I was beginning to question my sanity and my friendship with Dr. C, but thanks to her reassuring words and the expertise of the guides up there (way, way up there,) I actually did have an amazing time. I also got a unique perspective of the treetop diversity of the rainforest. I actually thanked Dr. C for getting me to do the tour but I did not accompany her on the "Tarzan Swing." Apparently I am simply not into risking my life multiple times in one day.
Proof that we survived:
Our next rainforest adventure was significantly more relaxing, but still insanely high up. Walking through the series of suspension bridges was strangely exhilarating. I somehow decided to put my fears away for the rest of the day and enjoy the view. I had a great time examining the super dense foliage, endless species of bromeliads climbing way up each and every tree trunk, thick moss cover, and other beautiful examples of the biodiversity that this biome is known for.
Quick side bar: we are not the only ones here. In fact, this may be one of the more touristy places either of us has chosen to visit. I don't, however mind the flocks of tourists because they are coming to a place to learn about the importance of protecting it. Not just Costa Rica overall, but in my experience, the individuals and organizations here are doing their part. One example: many places we have been or stayed, including today's cloud forest tour company, have eco-friendly plumbing and you can't flush your toilet paper. Our lovely lodge both recycles and composts! Sustainability is an ongoing theme here so the more people that learn about it and take some part home to practice themselves, as I will be doing, the better.
Finally, Dr. C was right. During the amphibian and reptile tour, my textbook did actually come to life in the form of a lesson on mimicry. There was both a highly venomous coral snake, and the other king snake that has copied its coloring patterns to fool predators, but is not in fact venomous at all! I was reminded again about the never ending wonders of evolution.
After a quick stop at a supermarket for some of our favorite things, we were back to our lovely lodge, where it is....wait for it...raining!!
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